Boss of French port says customs and sanitary checks could lead to 30-mile tailbacks

The boss of the port of Calais has said there could be tailbacks up to 30 miles in all directions and potential food shortages in Britain if a Brexit deal involves mandatory customs and sanitary checks at the French ferry terminal.

Jean-Marc Puissesseau made an impassioned plea to Theresa May and Michel Barnier to put plans in place immediately to avert congestion in Calais and Dover, where bosses have already warned of permanent 20-mile tailbacks.

Document on bloc’s vision of future relationship says PM’s red lines mean Brussels is limited in what it can offer

The EU is offering a free-trade deal that will be economically damaging to the UK and has ruled out a series of demands made by Theresa May, a document on the bloc’s vision of the future relationship reveals.

The prime minister’s red lines limit what Brussels can offer the UK, the paper says, and in return for even a limited free-trade agreement the British government will have to sign up to a commitment not to become a low-tax, low-regulation state undercutting the EU model.

The continent has borne the brunt of taxes and tariffs from the US and Europe. No wonder some believe Africa needs its own version of Donald Trump

What Africa needs, a friend of mine is fond of saying, is an African Trump: an “Africa first” leader who is not afraid of rubbing the rest of the world up the wrong way, someone willing to rip up traditional alliances, forgo historic links, forge a united and common purpose among Africa’s diverse nations, and then make their own needs – unambiguously – the priority.

It’s a surprising way to frame things, but these are surprising times, and political ideologies are upside down. Protectionism is having a moment in the sun, in a useful reminder of the degree to which our perception is skewed of which countries practise competitive capitalism and which do not.

Economically speaking, compared to being a full EU member, a EU-UK customs union would leave us worse off. However, there is little evidence to back his assertion that it would leave us worse off than if we were to follow his plan, and free ourselves to trade with the world.

Foreign secretary says those who do not want to leave EU are exploiting border conundrum

Boris Johnson has blamed the growing political row over the Irish border on those who wish to frustrate Britain’s departure from the EU.

In remarks that highlighted the division between the British government and EU negotiators, who will publish a document on Wednesday expected to spell out that their default solution to the Irish border issue is for Northern Ireland to remain in the customs union, Johnson insisted that other solutions to the problem could be found.

The real choice facing Britain is stark: between a ‘hard’ Brexit and remaining a fully paid-up member of the European Union

The Labour party now supports Britain remaining in a customs union after Brexit. That is also the view of at least 10 Conservative MPs, such as Anna Soubry and Nicky Morgan, who have put an amendment to this effect in the Commons. Theresa May’s government therefore faces a real danger of being defeated on this issue by a cross-party coalition. It is easy to see why continued membership of a customs union appears so attractive. It would seem to allow frictionless trade without committing Britain to free movement, budget payments to the European Union, or supervision by the European court of justice (ECJ), and no hard border in Northern Ireland.

The only major country outside the EU with which it has a customs arrangement is Turkey. This was proposed when it was believed Turkey might eventually join the EU. It is unclear whether this would be available for a country that had decided to leave Europe. But even if it were, the deal is highly disadvantageous to Turkey, and would be even more so to Britain.

Martin Donnelly dismisses Liam Fox’s call that staying in customs union would be a ‘sellout’

The former boss of Liam Fox’s international trade department has warned that life outside the EU single market is like swapping a three-course meal for a packet of crisps.

In an intervention that could overshadow the international trade secretary’s speech on Tuesday, Sir Martin Donnelly said Britain faced a direct threat to its status as a leading service economy if it did not pursue close alignment with EU single market rules.